Method of preserving green corn on the cob.



0. L. WATSON.

METHOD OF PRESERVING GREEN CORN ON THE 0013.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1911.

1,013,244. Patented Jan.2,1912.

( 0571 flae'a' JZar/dard [napecied and flaarwnieed Inventor,

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH (IO-,WASHINGTON. u. c.

ZlVdfJaz Attorneys.

UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE.

CLEM L. WATSON, OF MoALES-TER, OKLAHOMA.

METHOD OF PRESERVING GREEN CORN ON THE COB.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLEM L. WATSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mo- Alester, in the county of Pittsburg and State ofOklahoma, have invented a new and useful Method of Preserving Green Cornon the Cob, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method of preserving and standardizing greencorn on the cob, and the article produced thereby.

As is well known, purchasers of green cob corn will not accept earsmerely from an external inspection, but insist that several rows of thegrains be exposed in order to judge accurately of the quality of thecorn. To accomplish this, it is the almost universal practice for thevender to cut transversely into the ear, near its tassel end, and thento strip back a width of the husk, thus exposing the grains to view.This procedure is objectionable for several reasons, the principal onebeing that it is unsanitary, since, if the ear be rejected, the scarinflicted leaves an opening for the entrance of dust and insects, andthus renders the corn a menace to health. Furthermore, it entails a lossto the dealer, as the exposed rows of grains soon dry and shrivel, so asto destroy the appearance of the ear, thereby materially depreciatingits selling value, if not entirely destroying its sale. Furthermore,green corn as commonly exposed for sale, has the tassel intact, and thisnot only provides a lodging place for vermin and filth, but is alsoobjectionable, since, in handling the ears, the tassel becomes detachedand litters the bin and the surrounding floor. Aside from this, thepresence of the tassel is unnecessary, as is also the length of stalkgenerally left at the butt end of the cob. These portions of the cob addmaterially to the weight of the product, and consequently to the cost ofshipping, and further, detract largely from the appearance of thestacked product when ex posed for sale, the cobs of corn being ofirregular lengths.

The object of the present invention is, in a ready and practical manner,so to prepare the cob corn, or so-called roasting ears, that easyinspection of the grains to determine whether the ear is filled or not,and to determine whether it contains worms, may readily be "effected bythe vender, these operations being carried out without rendering thecorn in any wise unsanitary.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 16, 1911.

Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

Serial No. 649,767.

A further object of the invention is to standardize the lengths of theears, thus to give them a uniform appearance, and also to secure asubstantial reduction in the size of the crates or holders in which theyare shipped, thereby effecting a saving in the cost of transportation.

A further object of the invention'is to provide a novel seal for closingthe ends of the cob, upon which seal may be displayed the name of theproducer, and his printed guarantee of the uniform excellence of thearticle, the caps or closures being held upon the ear by an adhesive,which, while harmless to human beings, will prove repellent to insectsand cause them to shun the ears equipped with the closures.

With the above and other objects in View, as will appear as the natureof the invention is better understood, the same consists,generally.st-ated, in a method of preserving green corn upon the ear, ofpresent-ing it in such manner as, without any deterioration of theproduct, to permit inspection of the grains, and to standardize thelengths of the ears, the method consisting of cut-ting off a length ofthe tassel end suflicient to expose the grain, and severing the stalkclose to the butt end of the ear, and then inclosing the ends in capswhich are held upon the ear by an adhesive repellent to insects.

The invention consists further in the various steps of the methodleading up to the final result, as will be hereinafter fully describedand claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, andin which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts,there is illustrated, somewhat in the nature of a diagram, the varioussteps observed in treating an ear of green corn and presenting it in amanner which shall carry out the method, and in these drawings,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation displaying an ear of green corn asit appears as ordinarily exposed for sale. Fig. 2 is a similar viewshowing an ear denuded of its tassel end and clipped at its stalk end.Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the ear equipped with the protectivecaps which inclose the severed ends; Fig. 4 is an end view of the cap orclosure; Fig. 5 is a detail viewof the blank employed in making the capor closure. Fig. 6 is a perspective detail view of one form of box orcrate that may be employed in shipping the standardized ears.

In carrying the invention into effect, each ear E is taken, and a lengthof its tassel end will sever the tassel and stalk ends at one operation,so that any number of ears will be of the same length. After the tasselend has been severed, the producer inspects it, and if the ear is foundimperfect, as from lack of filling, or the presence of worms, it isdiscarded. But if found perfect, the tassel end is inclosed in a capC'constructed from any suitable material, preferably paper, of anycolor, the cap being secured to the ear by an adhesive which isrepellent to insects. In practice it will be found that a paste composedof flour, salt, extract of clover, and other harmless ingredients, maybe employed for the purpose. As shown in Fig. 5, the cap may be madefrom a blank of trapezoidal outline, thus to permit the cap to assume aconoidal contour on the cob. If desired, the cap may have printed uponit, the name of the grower, followed by his statement that the corn hasbeen duly inspected, or any other data that may be desired. The capserves as a guarantee to the purchaser, of-the inspection of the cornand its high quality. WVith the foregoing object in View, the stalk endmay be similarly equipped with a cap B, held in place by the adhesiveabove referred to. The caps do away with an inspection of the corn bythe purchaser, the corn being taken under the guarantee of the personwhose name appears upon the caps. The caps must be destroyed, when theyare removed, and thus a reuse of a cap is prevented. In applying theadhesive to the ear, the ends of the ear are preferably dipped into theadhesive to the depth of an inch or so, whereupon the cap is wound aboutthe end of the ear. After the ears have been treated in this 'manner,they are placed in the box or crate oughly effective for the purposesdesigned, and will result in a marked saving to venders, and a perfectsatisfaction to purchasers.

l/Vhat is claimed is 1. The method of preparing roasting ears to. permitinspection of the grains thereof without causing deterioration of theprod-- not, which consists in cutting off a length of the tassel end ofthe ear sufficient to expose the grains, and then inclosing the end in acap or closure.

'2. The method of preparing roasting'ears to permit inspection ofthegrains thereof without causing deterioration of the prod-.

uct, which consists in cutting off a length of the tassel end of the earsufiicient to expose the grains, and then inclosing the end in a cap orclosure which isheld assembled with the ear by an adhesive that isrepellent.

to insects.

3. The method of preserving green corn on the ear, to present it in suchmanneras, without deterioration of the product, to permit inspection ofthe grains, and to standardize.

the length of the ears, which consists'in cut-- in cutting off alengthof the tassel end suffi cient to expose the grains, severing the stalkclose to the butt end of the ear, and then inclosing the ends in capswhich are green corn held assembled with the ear by an adhesiverepellent to the insects. a

5. As a new article of commerce, an'ear of green corn having a length ofits tassel end removed and the exposed part inclosed ina cap.

of green corn having a length of'its tassel end removed and the exposedpart inclosed in a cap of fibrous material whichis held is repellent toinsects.

7 As a new article of commerce, an ear of green corn having its endsclipped; caps of fibrous material covering the ends of the 6. As a newarticle ofcommerce, an ear ear; and an adhesive, repellent to insectsholding the caps upon the ear.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presenceof two witnesses.

CLEM L. WATSON Witnesses KENT V. GAY, FRANK G. Doeen r'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

assembled with the ear by an adhesive that

